Frank Lampard is set to be named as the new Everton manager.
Lampard, along with Vitor Pereira and caretaker Duncan Ferguson, took part in a final round of interviews with the Goodison Park hierarchy on Friday.
Both the former Chelsea boss and Pereira had already entered into talks with the club’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri prior to the London meetings.
But it was Lampard who was offered the chance to take the reins as Rafael Benitez’s successor after impressing the club’s board and its benefactor.
The 43-year-old has been open to a return to Premier League management in the year since he was sacked at Chelsea following a tumultuous run of form.
Lampard’s appointment could be confirmed as early as Sunday with Everton bidding to firm up their first-team setup before the January transfer deadline.
The prospective new Blues’ boss is understood to be in favour of a renewed pursuit of Manchester United’s out-of-favour midfielder Donny van de Beek.
Everton had previously targeted the Netherlands international last summer ahead of a proposed loan move which ultimately failed to materialise.
Van de Beek’s arrival would help allay Lampard’s midfield concerns with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Fabian Delph and Tom Davies all currently sidelined.
The hunt for Benitez’s replacement plunged fresh depths as Moshiri pursued a sixth permanent manager in as many years since taking a controlling stake.
An initial approach for Roberto Martinez, whom Moshiri sacked in 2016, to return in a job share was rebuffed by the Royal Belgian Football Association.
Pereira, meanwhile, had emerged as the British-Iranian billionaire’s preferred choice for the role this week, prompting backlash from some supporters.
The 53-year-old’s divulging of details on talks with Everton during a live television interview did little to help his case with the club’s overall fan base.